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Stanford football: A recruiting class like no other on The Farm

By Jon Wilner jwilner@mercurynews.com

Posted:
12/31/2011 08:12:42 PM PST

Updated:
01/02/2012 10:55:09 PM PST

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- After the final letter of intent arrived in the Stanford football office that winter's day four years ago, coach Jim Harbaugh scanned his list of recruits and declared, "Stanford got better today."

With hindsight, it's clear that Harbaugh erred in his assessment.

Stanford didn't get better that day.

It got great.

Led by quarterback Andrew Luck, the Cardinal's 2008 recruiting class would become the best in school history and fuel an unprecedented three-year run that culminates Monday in the Fiesta Bowl.

"As it turns out," said assistant coach Lance Anderson, who was Stanford's recruiting coordinator in 2008, "the class was better than it was rated."

The major recruiting services didn't exactly fawn over Stanford's class. It was rated No. 43 in the nation by Scout and No. 50 by Rivals. Within the Pac-10 Conference, the group was ranked eighth -- ahead of only Washington State and Oregon State.

But re-rank all the 2008 recruiting classes based on what the players have done in college, and Stanford deserves a place among the nation's elite.

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"Luck was the best player in the country (in 2011), and DeCastro was the best (offensive) lineman -- those two guys alone make the class," ESPN recruiting analyst Greg Biggins said. "Then you add the depth of the other guys and, to me, it's definitely a top-10 class.

"I'll take one guy who can change the game over two or three solid players, and the rankings don't always reflect that."

The lukewarm reaction to Stanford's class was based primarily on the players the Cardinal didn't sign -- well-regarded prospects who weren't admitted to school or were admitted and, at the last minute, went elsewhere.

"The focus on that took away from the guys we got," Anderson said. "Then we got our guys on campus and realized, as a staff, that we shouldn't worry about the rankings. We liked what we had."

Ask any member of that team about the moment he knew Luck was special, and you'll get the same answer: His first pass of the first practice of training camp.

But it soon became apparent that there was more to the 2008 class than its marquee quarterback:

DeCastro was an interior lineman who moved like a tight end; Martin had the look of a dominant left tackle; Thomas was unblockable, Owusu uncatchable; and both Howell and Thomas had the athleticism to play multiple positions.

And they all had one thing in common -- the trait Stanford's coaches valued above all others.

"We wanted guys who were tough," said David Shaw, who was Stanford's offensive coordinator in '08 and became head coach last winter.

"I asked Andrew's high school coach, 'How tough is he?' and he said, 'Coach, you have no idea.' Then you talk about DeCastro and Martin and how physical they are, and Chase's mean streak. That was the common denominator."

But the players chose Stanford for different reasons.

Luck wanted a top-flight engineering program and the chance to learn from Harbaugh, a former NFL quarterback.

Howell, whose brother played for Washington, was smitten with the idea of making Stanford an elite team after so many losing seasons.

Chase Thomas, who grew up in Marietta, Ga., had scholarship offers from Auburn and Louisiana State but picked Stanford because of the camaraderie.

"It was a leap of faith, but I liked the atmosphere in the locker room," he said. "I took my recruiting visit the same time as Luck and DeCastro, and we clicked automatically. And we've remained close. We've lived in the same dorm. We vacation together."

But how could a recruiting class so obviously talented have been ranked 50th in the nation, behind the likes of Rutgers, Texas Tech and Syracuse.

In Luck's case, Stanford saw the same thing as dozens of other schools and the major recruiting services: A five-star prospect, he had all the skills to be an elite quarterback in a prostyle offense.

But with many others in the class, Stanford's coaches made shrewd evaluations.

DeCastro played center for a high school that used a Wing T formation, Anderson said, and there were questions about his ability to protect the quarterback. After watching DeCastro's footwork, Stanford realized he not only could pass block but also had the tools to be an elite pulling guard.

Michael Thomas played quarterback in high school and didn't have an obvious position on the collegiate level.

Martin had the requisite athleticism but was only 250 pounds. Could he gain 50 pounds without losing his quickness? Chase Thomas was a mere 206. Was he a defensive end, an outside linebacker, both or neither?

Stanford got creative once the 2008 recruits arrived on campus. Howell eventually moved from running back to safety, and Michael Thomas from receiver to cornerback to safety. DeCastro played several positions as a rookie before being slotted permanently at right guard.

"We knew we weren't going to recruit every four- and five-star guy, but we had kids who were tough and loved to compete," Anderson said.

"We asked them to give us a chance, and they were the class that got things turned around."